President’s Day Mock for Arizona Cardinals (w/ 4 trade downs)

Florida St. DI, Marvin Wilson #21. In my opinion Wilson and Christian Barmore (Alabama) are the most physically gifted, all-purpose DTs in this draft.

If you don’t know some of these prospects, I encourage you to check them out.

• Marvin Wilson, DI, Florida St. 6-5, 305, 90.1 2019, 90.7, 2019 #5 DI in USA, 67.7 2020.
• Michael Carter, RB, North Carolina, 5-8, 199, 84.6 2019 #22 RB USA, 91.7 2020 #4 RB in USA
• Ben Cleveland, G, Auburn, 6-6, 335, 77.7 2019, #12 G in USA, 78.8 2020 #14 G USA
• Duke Jackson, C, Kentucky, 6-2, 292, 78.0 2019 #14C in USA86.5, 2020 #5 C in USA
• Patrick Johnson, Edge, Tulane, 6-3, 255, 89.0 2018 #16 USA, 74.3 2020
• Jonathan Adams, Jr., WR, Arkansas St., 85.5 2020 #13 WR in USA
• Marco Wilson, CB, Florida, 6-1, 191, 70.8 2019, 53.8 2020
• Alaric Jackson, T, Iowa, 6-6, 315, 77.6 2018 #29 T USA, 74.4 2020 (Wirf’s bookend in 2018-2019))
• Mustafa Johnson, DI, Colorado, 6-2, 290, 84.3 2018 #27 DI in USA, 81.4 2020
• Jermar Jefferson, RB, Oregon St. 5-10, 217, 80.9 2018 #41 RB USA, 79.3 2020 #50 RB USA

UFA Signings

• Curtis Samuel “Adams”, WR, CAR, 77.0 2020 #27 WR NFL
• DeAndre Washington, RB, MIA 65.5 2020
• Cethan Carter, TE, CIN, 80.9 pass blocking 2020
• Tyrod Taylor, QB, LAC, 59.4 2020 #41 QB NFL
• Montravius Adams, DI, GB, 63.1 2020
• Dennis “National” Gardeck, LB, RFA ARI 89.6 2020
• William Jackson III, CB, CIN, 71.4 2020 #20 CB NFL
• Mackensie Alexander “Hamilton”, CB, CIN, 60.4 2020
• Charles Washington, S, ARI, 89.0 2020

After posting this mock on Twitter, one of the first reactions was:

@TheNoBULLfacts texted: “This is an absolute horrible draft strategy.”

I certainly get that I sacrificed the #16 and #49 picks to be able to acquire added picks —- but, it’s a tough year to have only 5 draft picks, plus what appears to be limited cap space for free agency —- tough year because the Cardinals have 32 free agents, which include their 3 RFAs (LB Dennis Gardeck, WR Trent Sherfield, LB Ezekiel Turner) and their ERFA (LB Kylie Fitts).

Think about that —- 32 total free agents, the vast majority of whom were on the 56 man roster and were key contributors on O, D or STs in 2020.

So, I started out kind of just having fun finding prospects with names of past presidents —- but then, when I saw the kind of quality payers I could draft given the added draft capital, I began to realize what a haul a draft like this one would be in a year where “quality” quantity could make a lot of sense.